'Hooda govt favoured DLF', Congress trashes charge

India Against Corruption leader Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday alleged a nexus between Haryana government and country's biggest real estate player DLF, with which Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra had business association.

While Vadra declined comment, the Haryana government, DLF and the Congress party refuted the second round of charges made by Kejriwal, who on October 2 launched a yet-to-be-named political party.

The Bhupinder Singh Hooda government allowed DLF to use 30 acres in Gurgaon — meant for a hospital — to set up a special economic zone (SEZ), Kejriwal alleged.

The land, the Haryana government said, belonged to a private party, and not the government. “An attempt is being made to sensationalise” the issues that were in public domain and pending in the Supreme Court and Punjab and Haryana high court, DLF said. The HC's verdict against one of its SEZs, which Kejriwal referred to, was stayed by the SC, the company said.

Kejriwal alleged that a new company — DLF SEZ Holdings Pvt Ltd — was set up in 2007 and allotted 350 acres by Haryana. One of Vadra’s companies acquired 50% shares of the company in 2008 which were sold back to DLF a year later, he alleged.

Kejriwal's press conference, in which some of the villagers whose lands were acquired were present, was followed by a series of rebuttals. “Who will authenticate the documents being given by him everyday… Kejriwal should reveal the source of funding of his campaign,” Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said.